The Concert for John commemorates John Lennon's death
by Jeff Niesel
Cleveland Free Times

Right after the Abbey Road on the River concert wrapped up in Louisville this past May, promoter Gary Jacob realized the anniversary of John Lennon’s death was coming up — he would have turned 65 this year had he lived. So he started booking some 20 bands (including Tim Piper, whom Jacob says is the best Lennon re-creator) for a tribute concert dubbed The Concert for John that will cover about 75 percent of Lennon’s catalogue. It kicks off at noon, Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Agora Theatre (5000 Euclid Ave., 216.881.2221). Tickets start at $12.

“A lot of these bands that try to dress up like the Beatles are cute, but I’m only interested in bands that can recreate the music,” Jacob explains. “I went to see Paul McCartney in Los Angeles and was lucky enough to be ten feet away. Some people asked me how my bands compare to the real thing. McCartney is McCartney, but our bands are just as good. They’re just not world-famous. They know the music. I don’t want to be misunderstood. McCartney is quite a presence. But these bands are so good, it’s spooky.”

Lennon was as revered for being an activist as he was for his songwriting abilities and his work with the Beatles. When he was shot by a fan in 1980, it was such a tragic event that many people remember where they were they heard the news.
“One of the things that people love is that he’s very complicated and very human,” Jacob says. “He was not a saint by any stretch. He had high ideals for the world and the types of things we should do. He was also flawed like most of us are. His best fans recognize that. He came out of a tough neighborhood in Liverpool to rise above it all. He died far too young. Everybody misses him and has a love/hate with Yoko. He’s a part of our lives. I’m hoping to get [U2’s] Bono to show up. He is the logical successor.”

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